Combined harvester and thrasher



no Model.) a Sheets-Sheet 2. I

J. TRETHEWEY.

GOMBINBD HARVESTBR AND THRASHER.

No. 380,000. Patented Mar/27, 1888; 7

(No Model.) 3 Sheets,$heet 3'.

, J. TRETHEWEI COMBINED HARVESTER AND THRASHER.

No. 300,000. Patented Ma'ri 27, 188 8."

v UN TED I STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES TRE THEWEY, OF STOCKTON, CALIFORNIA.

- COMBINED HARVES'l'ER AND THRASHER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,000, dated March27, 1888.

Application filed April I, 1887. Serial No. 234,088. (No model.)

' To all whom/it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAMEs TRETHEWEY, a citizen of the United States,residing at Stockton, in the county of San Joaquin and State ofCalifornia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCombined Harvesters and Thrashers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of my said invention,reference being had to the drawings that accompany and form partof thisspecification.

My invention relates to improvements in harvesting-machines of thatclass which thrash and separate the grain as it is out; and the sevingsare referred to by figures and letters.

The several figures contained in threesheets of drawings represent onlythe general structure of the frame-work and the construction andrelative positions of my improvements,as those parts of themachine-relating particularlyto the cutting, thrashing, and separatingand the means for conveying and handling the grain from the harvester.to the thrasher form no part or feature of my present invention, andaspecific or detailed description and illustration thereof is notbelieved to be necessary to a clear understanding of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of themachine, the sickle-bar, reel, and conveying-aprons or drapers, as wellas other parts on the thrasher proper, be-

ing omitted. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of I the frame-work of theharvester and the truck or frame that carries the thrashing apparatus.Fig. 3 is an elevation of the stubble sideof the machine. Fig. 4c showsthe mechanism employed to regulate and set the harvesterframe, takenfrom the right hand of Fig. 3.

One part or feature of my invention consists in suspending and carryingthe harvesterframe at the side of the thrasher truck or frame from arotary drum resting across and supported by the truck or thrasher frame,and having a counter-weight at one end to balance the weight of theframe and parts mounted on it that are suspended from the other end.

The harvester-frame is composed of two parts or frames-to wit, a mainframe, A, which will bear the harvesting mechanism,and

' a supplemental supporting-frame, A, which is hinged to the thrasherframe or truck D, and

to the front side of frame A the frame A is hinged.

O is the sickle-bar on the frontof the har vester-frame, and immediatelyover it are mounted the reel and other parts that make the completemachine. These parts are omitted from the drawings, however, as theirconstruction or arrangement forms no particular feature in the presentinvention.

To raise and lower the harvester-frame on thev joint B as a center, Iemploy the mechanism shown in Fig. 4 of the drawings, in which L is aninclined bar, attached at its lower end, by a jointed connection, Z, tothe rearmost cross-bar, L", of the frame and furnished with a rack, L,at the upper end portion to engage with a spur-wheel, L on a shortshaft, L above.

By means of a sprocket-wheeLL, on the short shaft L" and the endlesschain L, the spur-wheel is connected with the shaft of a sprocket-wheel,L havingthe crank L for turningit. Rotation of the spur-wheel L willtherefore raise or lower the outer end of the harvester-frame A,according to the direction in which the crank L is turned, and byplacing a ratchet-wheel and pawl on the crank-shaft, after the usualmanner of looking a shaft that is required to be held; from turningbackward, the frame is held at any given point of elevation. Theplatformframe A is hinged to the front edge of the supplemental frame Aby hinges B alongatransverse line, to regulate the height of the cuttingJ apparatus above the ground, and upon this i} joint as a center thefront edge of the platformframe can be raised and lowered. I j

From the jointB of the supplemental frame to the thrasher-frame anadjustment is obtained to change the inclination of the harvester-framein a transverse direction,as called for by irregularities in the surfaceof the ground-such as are due to elevations and depressions or inworking on an incline-while from the hinges B between the harvester andthe supplemental frame the height of the sickle-bar at the front isadjusted or raised from time to time to clear obstructions or to followthe changes in the surface over which it is passing.

E is the rotary drum or cylinder, resting in an open bearing, F, on theupper longitudinal timber, D, of the thrasher truck or frame, just abovethe inside wheel, H, of the truck, and from this point the drum extendsat one side over the harvester-frame behind the reel and at the otherside over the thrashingchamher or just back of it to the outside of thethrasher-truck D. The harvester-frame A is suspended by the rope I fromone end of this drum, and it is balanced by the weight K on the oppositeend of the drum.

Both the harvester-frame and the counterweight are connected to thisdrum by ropes I I, that are laid in several coils around the ends of thedrum for the purpose of using the rotation of the drum as a means forraising and lowering the front end of the harvesterframe upon thetransverse hinges B, connect ing it with the supplemental frame, and tothis end the drum is made of cylindrical form at the portion that restsin the hearing as well as at the ends where the ropes are laid, and adevice is provided for turning itin its bearing to wind or unwind theropes. This device is shown in Figs. 1, 3, and 4:. It is composed of thesprocketed ring M, fixed on and encircling the drum, and the endlesschain M, connecting it with a sprocket-wheel, M on the short shaft M,having a crank, M, for turning it. Shaft M is mounted on a bracketsecured near the upper end of upright frame piece D. By turning thecrank, rotation of the drum E on its bearing F takes place, and thefront end of the harvester-frame A is raised or lowered upon the hingebetween it and the supplemental frame, according to the direction ofmotion,by the winding up or unwinding of the rope I. The coils of thisrope are wound upon one end of the drum in the reverse direction tothose of the rope carrying the weight at the other end, and the weightis so proportioned to the weight of the harvester-frame that the framewill remain balanced by the weight and be supported at any point atwhich it is set, and the drum cannot turn, excepting as it is moved bythe crank M.

The manner in which I obtain and apply the power to actuate thesickle-bar and to drive the thrashing apparatus is clearly shown in Fig.2

ning fore and aft, and from which power is taken by belts and pulleys atthe front end to drive the thrashing and separating apparatus on thetruck and by a sprocket-pulley and chain at the opposite end to work thebarvesting apparatus. The power at this end is applied to the shaft S,mounted on the harvester-frame,that actuates the sickle-bar, and as theconnection of one shaft to the other is placed back of the line of jointB, a joint, as shown at S, in the shaft S is required, which would notbe necessary if provision were made in the construction to place theconnection in front of the line of joint-as, for instance, at some pointbetween the joint B and the drum E. In this manner I secure an equaldistribution of the work to the ends of A the driving-shaft and onopposite sides of the point of application of the driving-power, and inconsequence of such arrangement I overcome irregular action of thedriven parts, secure smoothness of motion, and prevent strain in theboxes and bearings. There is also considerable advantage in applying thepower between the driving mechanism of the harvester and the mechanismof the thrasher on the one driving-shaft.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is' 1 1. The combination, withthethrasher-truck and the harvester-frame hinged to the side thereof onthe line of draft, of the rack-bar L, pivoted at one end to the rearside of the harvester-frame and extended in an inclined position up to astandard on the truck, and a gear or pinion,L,secured upon the truck andengaging the rack-bar, and means, substantially as described, foroperating the gear or pinion, as set forth. 2. The combination of thethrasher-truck, the supporting-frame A, hinged to the side thereof onthe line of draft, and the main harvester-frame A, hinged at its rearside to the front side of the suppOrtingframe, the rotary drum mountedon the thrasher-truck, and having a chain or rope wound upon one endconnecting it with the main harvester-frame, and a chain or rope andweight wound upon the other end to counterbalance the harvesterframe.

3. In a combined harvesting and thrashing machine, the combination, withthe thrashertruck, of a harvester-frame attached by a hinge joint in theline of draft to the side of the thrasher-truck,and means for supportingit clear of the ground, consisting of a revolving drum mounted inbearings on the thrashertruck and extending over the harvester-frame,and supporting the front section thereof by a rope or flexibleconnection, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination of the thrashing truck or frame, the harvester-frameattached to its side by a hinge-joint in the line of draft, and thesupporting rotary drum mounted in bearings on the thrasher-frame, a ropeconnecting IIO one end of the drum with the front section of theharvester-frame, and a counter-weight and rope at the opposite end tobalance the weight of the said harvester-frame, substantially as 5 setforth. 7 l

5. In a combined harvester and thrasher,

the combination of the thra'sher-truck with the harvester-frame, thelatter composed of two sections, of which one is hinged to the side of10 the thrasher-frame and the other is hinged to the front side of thefirst named, and a means for raising and lowering the front section,consisting of a transverse rotary drum mounted in hearings on thethrasher-frame, so as to rotate thereon, and having; the front sectionof the harvester-frame suspended loy a rope wound upon one end of saiddrum and a counter-weight attached to the end of a rope wound upon theother end of the drum, and mechanism for turning the drum in itsbearings to wind or unwind the ropes, substantially as set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I I Q have hereunto set my handand seal.

JAMES TRETHEWEY. [L. 8.] Witnesses:

y R. E. WILHOIT,

GEO; E. WILHoIT.

